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The Natural Garden

John visits a garden that appears to have sprung naturally from the earth

In terms of garden design, the sorts of spaces that display rugged simplicity are known as 'naturalistic.' Naturalism is the antithesis of formality. There's no geometry, no straight lines.

Landscape designer Sam Cox has brilliantly created a naturalistic garden in outer north-eastern Melbourne with no concrete, no brick, and no metals - in fact, very few manufactured materials. It appears to have had no human intervention at all!

But creating a naturalistic garden takes a lot of work - especially in the planning stages. Sam explains to John how he began his garden. "We always want to use as many natural materials as possible to try and create an essence of what you would see in the natural environment. We're not trying to create a botanist's garden here. This is about continuity in our plantings - soft edges and a hands-on feel.

Stone

The effect of naturalism comes from using three landscaping components in a particular way. They are stone, water and vegetation. First up - stone. "We always look for it to be from the surface," says Sam. "We don't use quarried stone when we're placing rock. It's also about continuity in the landscape, so we continue the same feel of stones throughout the complete garden."

He also makes sure the stones are sunk well into the ground. "Up to a third or even a half of the stone is dug into the ground and settled in." In this case, Sam's tied the area together with Castlemaine slate paving. "We've used it throughout the garden in the high traffic areas. We want to make that transition into the house seamless - from the outside environment and then continue all the way through to the waterfall."

Sam designed a waterfall that flows into a billabong close by the house. "Part of the design of the house and the garden was to bring the environment as close as possible to the house."

Water

Water is the second essential element of naturalism.

"We want to see reflection and movement and sound with our use of water in gardens. Obviously in the natural landscape, you may have elements of water - whether it's standing water or an ephemeral zone, but we're trying to emulate that again and bring water into the garden as much as possible."

An important point is keeping the water clean. "We use natural biofilters, so there's a series of very simple gravel beds and we plant indigenous plants and reduce the nutrient level in the water and hence, hold the algae back," says Sam. "We use some of the sedges like Carex gaudichaudiana - a few of the rushes - like Baumea (Twig Rush - Machaerina articulate syn. Baumea articulata) or Juncus (Rush - Juncus sp.). Native Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii). We have birds arriving every day for a bath and obviously frog life and insects as well and the odd snake arrives every now and then as well."

Vegetation

The final main element of naturalism is vegetation. The native planting needs to be layered as it is in nature, with groundcovers, a middle storey and an over-canopy of trees.

"Our larger species are Lemon-scented Gums (Corymbia citriodora) and the Tasmanian Eucalyptus gunnii (Cider Gum). We use the locals as well, so polyanthemos (Red Box - Eucalyptus polyanthemos) and also the sideroxylon rosea, Red Flowering Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), is a strong garden influence."

John appreciates the contrast between the black Ironbark and the white trunks of the Lemon-scented Gums. "We try and look for that contrast as much as possible," says Sam.

The plantings are mostly chosen for their foliage, although some have showy flowers as well. "Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem' is flowering at the moment. We also have Correa 'Dusky Bells' and Acacia iteaphylla (Flinders Range Wattle) - there's a few Acacias that flower during the autumn. We tend not to use the plants for their flower, as opposed to using the foliage contrast.

Even the dead vegetation has a more subtle role in adding to the gardens naturalistic qualities. "A lot of it's to do with the simplicity of the mulch floors and then for the leaf litter to add to that."

And John notes the soft, blurred edges that add to the natural feel - even at the property's edge. "The boundary plantings are important to us because they non-define the boundaries - for want of a better description," says Sam, "which helps us increase the feeling of space in the garden."

Size and Scale

Sam's garden is three quarters of a hectare, but you don't have to have a lot of space to have a naturalistic garden.

"It's about using the same philosophies and bringing it into a smaller scale - whether it's a classic quarter acre block or a courtyard," ends Sam. "If we stick to the same philosophies, we find that we can bring that essence of the Australian bush into any landscape."

Watch the Web Exclusive Story to find out more about Sam Cox's inspirational mentor - the late renowned landscape designer, Gordon Ford.

Broadcast:
Sat 20 Jun 2015, 12:00am

Published:
Sat 20 Jun 2015, 12:00am

Transcript

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John Patrick

JOHN PATRICK: In terms of garden design, the rugged simplicity you see here is known as 'naturalism.' So what is naturalism? Well, it's the antithesis of formality. There's no geometry, no straight lines. In fact, there's very few manmade materials. No concrete, no brick, no metals. You'd say in fact, there'd been no human intervention ....or so it seems.

But to make things look this natural takes a lot of work - especially in the planning and landscape designer Sam Cox has done it brilliantly, here at his home in outer north-eastern Melbourne.

SAM COX: We always are looking to use as many natural materials as possible to try and create an essence of what you would see in the natural environment. We're not trying to create a botanists garden here. This is about continuity in our plantings....soft edges and a hands-on feel I suppose, is the best way to describe it.

JOHN PATRICK: The effect of naturalism comes from using 3 landscaping components in a particular way. They are stone, water and vegetation. First up stone.

SAM COX: We always look for it to be from the surface - we don't use a quarried stone when we're placing rock and it is about continuity through the landscape so we continue the same feel of stones throughout the complete garden.

JOHN PATRICK: And I get the sense that these are a little bit like icebergs...that what you actually see is only sort of, half of the story.

SAM COX: Yeah, yeah, that's right - up to a third or even a half of the stone is dug into the ground and settled in.

JOHN PATRICK: And I know you've used a lot of Castlemaine slate as your paving surface, right through the garden.

SAM COX: Yeah we have. We've used it throughout the garden in the high traffic areas. We want to make that transition into the house seamless - from the outside environment and then continue all the way through to the waterfall.

SAM COX: We do enjoy it and it was a bit part of the design of the house and the garden was to bring the environment as close as possible to the house.

JOHN PATRICK: And water is the second essential element of naturalism.

SAM COX: Oh we're looking to see reflection and movement and sound with our use of water and gardens. Obviously in the natural landscape, you may have elements of water - whether it's holding water or an ephemeral zone, but we're trying to emulate that again and bring water into the garden as much as possible.

JOHN PATRICK: Now you don't want algae in a pond like this, so how do you keep it nice and clean?

SAM COX: We use natural bio-filters, so there's a series of very simple gravel beds and we plant indigenous plants and reduce the nutrient level in the water and hence, hold the algae back. We use some of the sedges likeCarex gaudichaudiana- a few of the rushes like a say aBaumea(Twig Rush -Machaerina articulatesyn.Baumea articulata) or aJuncus(Rush -Juncussp.)....Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii). We have birds arriving every day for a bath and obviously frog life and insects as well and the odd snake arrives every now and then as well.

JOHN PATRICK: The final main element of naturalism is vegetation. The native planting needs to layered as it is in nature, with groundcovers, a middle storey and an over-canopy of trees.

SAM COX: Our main species are obviously the Lemon-scented Gum (Corymbia citriodora). This isEucalyptus gunnii(Cider Gum).

JOHN PATRICK: And that would be a complete contrast with the white stems of thecitriodoracause I mean, it's absolutely black isn't it?

SAM COX: It's beautiful and we try and look for that contrast as much as possible.

JOHN PATRICK: Now I see we've got Westringia in flower. What else have you got flowering in the garden?

SAM COX: Ah yes...Westringia'Wynyabbie Gem' is flowering at the moment. We also haveCorrea'Dusky Bells' andAcacia iteaphylla(Flinders Range Wattle) - there's a few Acacias that flower during the autumn. We tend not to use the plants for their flower as opposed to using the contrast and foliage contrast...things like that.

JOHN PATRICK: Now you have some subtle things happening here that help give this garden a natural quality.

SAM COX: Yeah I think it's ah.....a lot of it's to do with just the simplicity of the mulch floors and then for the leaf litter to add to that.

JOHN PATRICK: And this softening of edges is really important to you, isn't it? I mean, I notice that the edge of your property...there's no hard lines - it's all blurred and all softness.

SAM COX: The boundary plantings are important to us because they non-define the boundaries for want of a better description, which helps us increase the feeling of space in the garden.

JOHN PATRICK: Sam's garden is three quarters of a hectare, but you don't have to have a lot of space to have a naturalistic garden.

SAM COX: It's about using the same philosophies and bringing it into a smaller scale - whether it's a classic quarter acre block or a courtyard - if we stick to the same philosophies, we find that we can bring that essence of the Australian bush into any landscape.